Tramps Like Us
by crayonboxromance
Summary: Ben, a soldier from the wrong side of the tracks and Alice, a broken Hero-Queen. A year after the Crawler attack Alice is alone and craving human companionship. Could Ben Finn be the right kind of company to heal a broken queen?
1. Tramp

_Fable 3 is epic but Mr Finn didn't get enough love!  
Nor was he romancable. Catastrophe if you ask me.  
So here's my little tribute to what I think should've happened between Finn and the Princess.  
Set after the game events with some flashbacks :)_

_**Disclaimer**: Lionhead owns everything but my new plot. If I did own everything I'd be a Hero right now, romancing a certain rapscallion soldier ;)  
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**_He's a tramp but I love him._**

Alice. The Princess, the Hero-Princess, the Saviour of Albion stared out of the window with a half-hearted sigh, her head resting on her palm. A year ago Albion had been saved and she'd somehow managed to amass a personal fortune enough to save everyone. Everyone but Walter. As usual tears arrived unbidden when thinking about her old mentor, father-figure instead of the absentee Hero father life had given her.

"Your majesty…" Hobson, her aide as Jasper was ensconced in the wonder of the Sanctuary, interrupted her musings with his extremely annoying voice. She was considering firing him partly because of his voice but partly because of his odd preoccupation with the money in the Treasury. Although he was incredibly good at managing the accounts of her real estate and many businesses.

"Hobson." The Princess sighed again not even bothering to turn from the beautiful view beyond her window despite not feeling any joy from it, "find me a new aide. I'd prefer it if you managed the Treasury. You're so incredibly good with money." She knew how to flatter him and, as predicted, Hobson got into a terrible flurry of excitement at the thought of getting his grubby paws on the pile of gold languishing in the Treasury, "but what did you want to tell me first?" Hobson never spoke to her unless he was showing her one of his infernal schedules, some unexpected visitor had arrived or if he wanted something. It was usually the first and the last; no one ever dared unexpectedly visit the _Queen_ because they all deemed themselves _unworthy_.

Kalin usually sent a courier ahead of her arrival because it took so long to reach Albion. Sabine rarely visited unless he wanted to blow things up. Page would visit when asked or if there was a particular city problem that could only be dealt with by the Queen. Page had, at first, refused to tell her of any city things, thinking it too trivial for her but she had asked for it as she preferred the headquarters of the Bowerstone Resistance to anywhere else. She'd been useful there, among the people, whilst in the castle she felt like nothing but an imposter.

Captain Obvious, so called because he often pointed out treasure that she had already seen, was her only ever-there friend which really wasn't much help because he was a dog and not a terribly amazing conversationalist. And then there were the children she allowed to play in the castle and gardens with her, to help ease her loneliness and need for human contact. Although the maternal feeling was amazing it couldn't slake the need for another kind of human contact.

She didn't really want to mention the other person who she'd grown close to during her time as the Rebel Princess. It was awkward the flush that came to her face at the mere mention of his name.

"A Ben Finn has arrived to see you ma'am." He performed a stupid, low sweeping bow that he did every day despite her protestations. It was surely giving him back ache, "and I will find you a new aide immediately.

Ben Finn… oh and there's the flush, right on time. Annoying. It had been a full year since they'd last seen each other. He'd left to explore the world the day Walter had died in her arms; the day victory had come for Albion at the cost of her world. For surely he had been everything he could've been to her, the one constant apart from Jasper in her life.

Why was Ben visiting now?

Sighing again, as she often did these days, she stood with a flurry of her ridiculous skirts in preparation for a ball that night and wandered to the Throne Room where he would no doubt be waiting. She tried to keep her insane blush under control when she swept in to the room but as soon as she saw him lounging on her throne Lord of all it just rushed back into to her face.

"A little hot in those clothes Alice, _my queen_?" He added sarcastically knowing how much she hated people calling her that. He didn't bother to get up though and bow although he did preform some weird hand floppy hand gesture…

"Captain Finn." She shot him a sardonically sweet smile with a hand on her jutted hip, "to what do I owe this immense pleasure? Don't tell me…" She interrupts playing a game she usually played with him back in BR HQ, "A bewildered but angry husband found you on top of his guilty but otherwise pleased wife and tried to run you all the way here." Ben had gotten up off of the throne and stood in front of her with his cocky, devil may care grin almost making her mouth water. Oh look, that damned blush again.

"Only pleased Al? I had a little more faith in my abilities."

"Page and I had a little girl talk and I'm afraid she wasn't exactly _raving_ about your...err… well you." She finished lamely not quite knowing how to finish that sentence. Page had, in fact, adored her time spent with Ben and Alice could feel nothing but jealousy. There had only been two occasions apparently, before he went off to do his whole adventuring spiel. He'd said more of a goodbye to Page than to her. All Alice had received was a casual hope to see you soon, peck on the cheek kind of thing. To be honest that had hurt her a bit, they'd been through so much together and to get that kind of farewell was embarrassing.

"Still so innocent Al. But I thought I'd just come and keep you company. A devilish soldier like me would be the perfect solution." There was no need to offer the reason why he felt a sudden craving for the companionship for his old friend and Queen as it was plain in every sad movement the tired woman gave. She was so different from the woman he'd first met, in the barracks.

Ben had to take a step back from Alice to observe her. The fashion hadn't changed in Albion over the year he'd been travelling so the masquerade ball dress wasn't unusual at all. It had the elaborate mask, the top half showing way too much cleavage than Ben felt comfortable with other people seeing and the split bottom half. What was unusual however was the nothingness in her gaze. There wasn't any light there anymore. The gentle bantering that had just occurred held no amusement for her in any other place but her smile. The smile that had decreased in wattage. Thankfully the delightful, innocent blush that appeared remained the same.

"Ah Ben." She giggled, a brief spark flaring than dying in her eyes, "I've missed my favourite little tramp." Tramp being her nickname for him when she wanted to call him over and he was glad that some familiarity between them was returning, however briefly. But then she did something she'd never done and Ben knew she wouldn't have done it in any other circumstance.

She hugged him. She pulled him close and held on tight, the squeeze telling him that she needed to hold onto someone, just needed something to hold on to.

He found that he didn't mind being that someone.


	2. Heartbreaker

_Ooohh a huge thank you to _  
**_The Tribble's Pen  
ScarletChakra  
Kassandra Black  
_**_and  
**Crazed-Authoress**_

I hope this gets the same awesome response :D

* * *

**Breaks a new heart every day**

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." A shout came from the other side the bedroom that Ben had been allocated for however long he'd be staying for. He didn't know quite yet how long that would be for but definitely at least until Alice had some life back in her eyes, her smile and well just _her_ really. Speaking of the monarch, she was currently pressed against the door and her face was no doubt on fire. He glanced down at himself, peering through his wet hair and realised that she was embarrassed because he was topless. He'd been giving himself a wash from the hand basin.

"Oh come on Al. You've seen me topless before…" During those times there'd been other company present of course and most others were topless. She did travel with men usually after all. And it's not as if she hadn't seen it all before. He remembered the lusty, dreamy-eyed expression that stole over her when someone had asked what she missed most about life in the palace. She'd given some generic answer about the food before proceeding to joke about the stuff that passed for food in the Mourningwood Fort but Ben had seen the look in her eyes. And chosen to ignore the faint stab of jealousy for a guy he'd never met seeing as he'd only known her for two weeks by then and she was the _Princess_.

"Well yes but it was different those times." Al stammered, her voice muffled slightly by the door blocking her mouth, "just cover up so I can talk to you." With his usual roguish laugh he threw something around his shoulders. It wasn't much but enough to keep the sudden modesty of his queen intact. It still felt weird calling her that as she was his close friend for at least two years.

"You can turn around now your majesty." He teased trying to raise a smile from her but it seemed that she was in too bad of a mood to even care. She turned finally, her eyes not daring to move from his own; her pretty brow puckering from whatever was annoying her. He resisted the urge to reach out and sooth the lines that were starting to appear on her too young face.

"Well seeing as you're so eager for me to do my queenly duties how about you accompany me to the ball tonight?" It had probably meant to be a polite invitation but her mood was so black that it was issued as a violent, sarcastic question. He guessed that he didn't have a choice in the matter and he guess correctly as she went on to rant, "I'll have Jasper fit you out. He did love to do that for Walter and I and I think he needs a break from the Sanctuary… sorry Ben." She suddenly deflated realising that she was taking her anger out on the wrong person, "Hobson is just getting on my last nerve. Praise Avo that I don't have to wake up to his annoying voice tomorrow. That and I _hate_ balls." She flounced over to the bed in pride of place in the middle of the room and threw herself dramatically on to it, her ball dress puffing up around her waist. It felt good to be childish again. It was one of the things she loved liked about Ben. It was ok to be herself around him, to be the child she'd once been instead of the adult she was forced to grow into too quickly.

"Surely there's something about balls that you don't mind?" Ben decided not to broach the subject of him attending as it would be futile. What Alice wanted, Alice got. It didn't look to be too bad though now she was queen seeing as all she wanted to do was travel. He turned to put on his travelling top, well-worn and looking dirty next to her regal self and much to his chagrin, after the initial blush, she didn't seem entirely effected by his topless state.

"There's Adrian but that's complicated... You'll meet him tonight." He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to despite her enigmatic way of saying the word _complicated_, "balls. I do hate dressing up in these stupid outfits. Tramp, can't you just take me away to Aurora for an exotic vacation or something? Away from the ridiculousness of it all." There was such a wistful tone to her voice that Ben couldn't help but look over with his own frown. Well that and the fact that she had called him Tramp without a nostalgic sigh tagged on the end. Having spent all afternoon together and finally, for them both really, some human contact longer than a few moments or nights in Ben's case was starting to do them some good.

"Not much has changed since I left then." He smirked, referring to the fact that she still hated everything to do with queenly duties. The decisions that you had to make were tough but at the moment people were still so grateful to be alive, the memory of the Crawler attack fresh in their minds, that only the nobility squabbled amongst themselves like spoiled children. She hadn't been complaining in the afternoon because they had been sparring with their swords, comparing their gun sizes and exchanging weaponry.

"I wouldn't quite say that. I've become an avid fan of Hollows and Hobbes, where the dashing Hero must rescue the Princess from the evil Baron and Demonic Chickens. I have game nights every Tuesday don't you know." She snorted inelegantly from the meringue that had enveloped her on his bed. Given her previous enthusiasm for the pretend games that the children often played, she had even joined in one this afternoon when Ben had needed a rest, the Hollows and Hobbes idea was disturbingly realistic prospect.

"Alice, I'm almost ashamed to be seen as your friend. By rights I shouldn't accompany you to this ball."

"Leave me lonely and I'll set your crotch alight." The flippant way she whipped out a ball of flame from the omnipresent gauntlet of her favourite spell made him think that she might actually follow through on the threat. Wearing the gauntlet all the time was her way of reminding everyone that not only was she handy when there was a bad lighting situation but was also powerful enough to command the use of Will, as Walter had called it. Most of Albion just called it magic or witchcraft.

So instead of teasing her, he just flopped down on the bed beside her, trying to find her amongst her skirts, "Alice… should you so ask of me, I will never, ever leave you lonely." Alice stared at him for a few moments. His serious face was so alien to her that she didn't know if he was teasing or not. There was a long silence in which she placed a hand on his cheek for a reason she couldn't identify other than the overwhelming urge to touch him, capture one of the rare moments of seriousness that Ben Finn had before it slipped away. Then she cast her gaze back to the material canopy of the four poster bed.

"Ah my little tramp. I wonder how many hearts you break using lines like that."


	3. Balls

_Another **amazing** response from people!  
A big thanks to  
**Kassandra Black  
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The Tribble's Pen **(hopefully this is longer for you :)**  
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**Cassandra Finn!**_

_Also a massive thanks of the Favouriter's and Story Alerters!  
Much love :D**  
**_

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**He's a tramp. They adore him.**

Someone was making Queen Alice laugh her delightful, honest laugh. Ben could recognise it a mile off and it annoyed him to no end. He'd been trying to make her laugh all day and through the side door to the ballroom he heard it. Was it a man or a woman? He fervently hoped it was a woman although he knew it wasn't his place to hope for that. He cursed himself. Here he was, dressed up in stupid, prissy outfits that he would never wear otherwise, mooning over something that could never happen. If he could just make her laugh, if he could just take her away, if he could just do… _something_. He couldn't do _anything_ and he felt useless. The soldier sighed, patted his new finery and made to slip quietly into the ballroom without anyone noticing him. That way he could zero in on the person and scope them out.

There she was feeling self-conscious in her own finery but it was so expertly hidden over so that the nobles didn't find out. Only people who knew her like Ben did could see the tell-tale signs. She used to be so at ease in this crowd, moving around them like a fish through water. But a year touring the country in mercenary outfits, Dweller outfits and various other clothes that appealed to her so much more had stripped the confidence of the nobles from her. He remembered watching her with Walter when they first started travelling together, still extremely insecure about bathing around men she didn't know, and she'd held her new uniform, loaned by a member of the army, up to the dappled light of the forest and her face was one of amazement at the comfortableness of it. Seeing her delight at such simple clothes had endeared him to her, made him want to preserve her innocence for as long as he could.

"Tr- Ben – Mr Finn!" Alice stumbled over his name as soon as she saw him, her face lit up in relief. It appears that he was needed after all. He nodded to show her understood why his name was Mr Finn here. It would send the wrong message to the nobility who were obsessed with addressing people in the 'proper' manner.

Ben made his way over, pushing people away from him as politely as he could, "your highness." His voice was gruff, out-of-place. The man with Alice looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow.

"It's your majesty actually."

"Oh shut it Adrian. This is _Ben Finn_." Alice glared at the man called Adrian to whom Ben had taken an instant dislike, "he played an important role in the overthrowing of my brother and is free to call me whatever he likes." Her voice wasn't annoyed however, it was just weary. She'd been in this kind of position too many times before and Ben suddenly realised why she loved being in the city so much with Page. Page treated her like an equal, would be girly with her and not simper around her like this man was doing, "Mr Finn this is Adrian, an esteemed member of the court… and fiancée." Lingering on the word esteemed the way she did made Ben laugh. To him she was being sarcastic but it made Adrian here throw out his chest. However the fiancée bit was going to need some explaining and fast, "he was just telling me one of his hilarious stories about his mother…" The heavy tone of 'fiancée' and everything after made Ben think that it wasn't exactly her idea. It had probably been arranged by Logan at birth, as was the custom for royalty, or by Hobson trying to make the Treasury that much fuller.

"Alice, you may also call me whatever you wish instead of Mr Finn." So he started to flirt with her like he usually did partly to annoy 'Adrian' and partly to pick up Al's spirits.

"Oh why thank you Ben, I certainly shall." Adrian muttered something under her breath about their flirtatious tone, bowed curtly and moved away just in time to miss Alice burst into a fit of giggles, "ah Tramp, I have far too much fun when you're around. You saved me from listening to another of his hilariously bad stories about how Hollow Men are so 'difficult' to kill." Without thinking she laid an arm around his shoulders in an awkward one-armed hug, "I'm going to miss you when you leave." She ignored the stares from the attendees of the ball to stare at him with a heartbreakingly sad gaze. A gaze that told him that she couldn't take someone else leaving her. She may pretend otherwise but it wasn't the case. Maybe it was that look, maybe it was his feeling useless or maybe even just a feeling of not wanting to be gone now that he was with her again but something spurred him on to ask the ridiculous,

"Come with me." Tone soft he issued the invitation almost as if he didn't want her to hear. She's too used to him being all joking and hilarious that seriousness was a shock to her and this afternoon was proof of that.

"What?"

"Surely it's not such a disgusting idea." He joked, referring to the sheer astonishment in her voice, "you want to travel and who better than I, a dashing soldier whom all women adore, as your faithful companion. No offence Captain," He added hastily when Captain Obvious, by Alice's side even in balls, growled to announce that faithful companion was a filled position, "but there are some needs that only a _human_ male companion can fulfil for a woman."

"And what needs might they be Captain Finn?" There was a husky note to her voice and Ben could tell that she'd completely forgotten that there were guests swarming all over the ballroom, straining their ears to catch their usually so-composed monarch being not so-composed. Adrian hovered even closer from where he'd been before, always keeping close proximity to Alice whenever Captain Obvious didn't notice him and start growling, shackles raised. Ben was glad to see that he wasn't the only one who didn't like the simpering Lord.

"Um… well Alice…" For once Ben was at a loss for words as he stammered through the sentence. Alice never really flirted back, not so publically anyway, and if she did flirt back it was subtle with a playful tinge to it. He gulped. Obviously he wanted to flirt back just as seriously but he remembered where they were even if she didn't. That must have been written all over his face as her own suddenly changed from dark eyed gazes to her business face.

Moving away from him so fast it gave him whiplash she jumped up onto a pedestal that was meant to hold a statue of her but the artist was currently working on it, "I would like to make an announcement." Along with her business face went the tiny, tiny, tiny spark in her eyes that had been threatening to return. Going away together seemed like a very good idea right about now if Ben's mission to make her smile properly was going to succeed, "I feel that I have been neglecting my duties as Queen," there was a half-hearted negative from the crowd, "no, no I have. Adrian here has been telling me for months about his Hollow Man problem and I have ignored it instead of sending some men down. Adrian, as a show of my humble apologies _I_ will _personally_ deal with your Hollow Man problem." There was a stammering attempt to tell her not to from Adrian as the court stared at him. Alice waved it away however, "In fact, Albion is rife with these kinds of problems. I will tour the country to try and eliminate the problem. I will be accompanied by Captain Ben Finn and will leave at sunrise tomorrow. With that in mind I will retire for the night. Please continue with the ball." And with that blunt announcement she jumped from the pedestal, flashed a grin at Ben and marched from the ballroom leaving it buzzing with gossip and all of the guests staring at Ben Finn incredulously.

He was going to kill her.


	4. Hollow Men

_Gah! Sorry this took so long guys.  
Snow and Uni Work is my excuse, I hope you can accept that!  
Wow, an amazing response!  
I'd love to thank everyone who reviewed icluding the people who always do, a special thank you! I feel loved :)  
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_Also, in here is my thought on why friendly fire is possible in Fable-verse!**  
**_

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**And I only hope he'll stay that way**

They were the perfect travelling companions. Ben could cook reasonably well so he did the cooking. Walter had taught her how to set up camp during their time rebelling and all of that so Alice did that. Captain Obvious, as well as finding hidden gold and dig spots to conveniently get them money, could hunt for food. Alice had trained him so well that he could take down a Balverine in one blow although Alice worried for her faithful pet so usually joined in. They'd been travelling for a week with the customary flirting, sneaking glances when they found a river to bathe in, never going so far as being classed as pervasion. Until they were about three hours from Millfields, three hours from Adrian's problem, or so they thought.

"Are you trying to kill me woman?" Ben puffed angrily as he dodged a fireball from the livid Hero. It caught a Hollow Man that he didn't see behind him. The whole thing was a flurry of panic and an angry Alice was the last thing he needed.

"Why? Is it working?" She snapped back practically hacking another Hollow Man to death. Ben almost felt sorry for the thing. They were nasty little creatures who just wouldn't die but no one deserved _that_. He winced as another brutal murder took place before his eyes and thanked Avo that the Men had come along when they did otherwise he might've been at the receiving end of these violent blows. And that morning had all started out so _well_. Note the sarcasm.

Alice had stolen into his tent an hour before dawn, unable to sleep and ready to get going as she'd said afterwards. She had hovered over his bed, unwilling to wake the peacefully sleeping man as he lay spread-eagled, consuming the whole tent. Instead she had settled for sitting by the door of the tent, smoothing out the wrinkles of his folded clothes to preoccupy herself from his exposed chest. As soon as Ben had realised there was a stranger in the room, out had sprung his gun from underneath his pillow and to the head of the guest with his arm around her neck. Within seconds he was holding nothing more than a melted pile of mush and there was a flame dangerously close to his face.

"Ben! Oh my God I'm so sorry!" Gushed the blushing princess, half blushing because she'd just completely melted his precious gun and half blushing because she was in kind of a compromising position. Sneaking into his tent and just hovering there like some crazed stalker. She didn't mean to, she'd said afterwards obviously, but she still wasn't used to waking people up, always being woken by someone else instead. It was odd having to think about someone else again as an individual when all she'd been doing for two years was thinking of the masses.

Ben stared at the lump of solidified mass, the precious gun that Swifty had given him when he'd been picked up after his 'accidental piracy'. He kept it under his bed more for sentimental purposes than to really do any damage. It was too big and old to for that but it did scare criminals rather well. Alice was gushing her apologies all over the place and he could tell that they were genuine but he couldn't quite _hear_ them over his horror.

"That was all I had left Al… in the world…" He muttered. Alice knew straight away that he meant all he had left of Swifty and the guilt she felt increased tenfold.

"Oh Ben." Was all she could say. Walter had left her an entire empire when he'd died and a castle full of memories. All Ben had left of his own mentor and father figure was this gun and some memoirs he'd left dotted around the place that Swift had enjoyed. But he'd drunkenly scattered them through pubs and now there was no way of even getting _those_ back save fruitless and dedicated searching.

So Ben had pointedly ignored her existence for the next few hours, still wounded from the loss. Alice had disappeared for the rest of the hour before dawn meeting with him only as they prepared to go looking justifiably nervous. They'd set off for the last leg, short as it may be, of the journey to Adrian's house in total silence, uneasy and explosive. Finally however, when they both grew hungry, Alice sent Captain off to hunt and Ben found a log to brood on. Neither of them had wanted to stop to talk about the heavy silence but it was necessary.

Alice, frustrated with him, had started the fire with her handy Gauntlet with the Shock Gauntlet to help it along, wordlessly chucked him a gun she'd retrieved from the Sanctuary before flouncing down and glaring at him. He polished the gun, stonily staring back not even thanking her.

"Oh for God's sake Ben!" Alice finally snapped, "I'm sorry. I've been apologising and apologising all day. If you can't forgive me, will you at least start talking to me?" Ben, at that unlucky moment in time, was hit by a flying pebble to the head.

"Ow! It's like being hit by a frozen sock!" He hissed, his free hand nursing the soft spot where it hit.

"Wha-"

BANG! A shot from Ben's gun shot past her head, singeing her hair and something crashed behind her. The remains of a Hollow Man. They were being swarmed by the problem that Adrian had been talking about so here they were in the middle of the battle, fireballs flying everywhere, shots going off all over the place in a flurry of panic.

"Ben, run." Her voice was so concentrated that it made Ben stop mid re-load to glance over worriedly. She was charging her spell to its maximum power, arms violently shaking, but she'd never asked him to run before. Usually it just skimmed right over him like a whoosh of cool wind, "I'm angry at you right now so I don't know how the spell will affect you. I'm sorry." She added in a regretful whisper. She'd said before that her spells were ruled by emotion which would probably explain why the spells skimmed everyone over. He did nothing for a few moments, staring at her glowing hands until they started shaking and he knew she'd reached her limit. He ran for it then, shooting and stabbing as he ran, to try and cover her before chucking himself behind a big rock out of the reach of the flames and the Push Spell she used with it.

The Hollow Men were sent flying backwards, falling like rain all around him, on fire or just a splintered mass of bone. There was no movement for a few minutes until he heard the quiet voice of his princess,

"Are you alright Ben?" She was afraid that he would now be angry at her for not being able to control his emotions as well as the whole gun debacle and he felt instantly guilty. He sighed, swallowed his pride and stood saying,

"It's alright Al, it'd take more than that to finish off this old Tramp."

He was rewarded with a soft, teary yet heart-stopping smile.


	5. Kiss

_Yayy! This one's quite long, and sorry it's been so long for it to come out!  
I've been gift-making for the family since it's Christmas soon! YAY!  
I love Christmas ;)  
Another massive thanks to the reviewers! I love you all so much! :D|  
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and  
**Crazed-Authoress **(who made my day with her review!)_

_Thank you aaalllllll!  
Hope you like the teeny tiny bit of action that happens in this chapter_

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**He's a tramp, he's a scoundrel.**

They reached Millfields bedraggled and exhausted. Adrian, who'd been looking out the window for his prospective fiancé eagerly for about three days, saw them coming, coolly noting the way the rouge Captain he didn't like supporting the exhausted Queen. Her arm was around his neck and the other resting on Captain Obvious who, despite being a dog, somehow managed to look worried for his master.

Immediately the servants took Alice to a hot bath that had been set up as soon as Adrian had rung the bell to tell them of her arrival. Despite her fatigue she managed to order a bath for Ben as well since Adrian had conveniently forgotten his bath like they guessed he might. And Adrian, ever the simpering idiot that everyone took him for, bowed pleasantly and assured her that a bath would be made ready for them. It was, of course, but not without a few threatening words, hilarious to Ben since they came from Adrian after all.

"You may be the Queen's travelling companion but _I_ am her fiancé. The union has been planned ever since Logan took the throne and there is _nothing_ that a mere army rat like you can do about it." He sneered contemptuously as the bath was poured for him in the guest room far, far away from Alice's. Ben snorted out loud whilst willing away the urge to punch this good-for-nothing noble in the gut, then the face.

"No _milord_ there really isn't anything that I can do about it. But Logan isn't King anymore and the Queen may have a few words on the matter herself. Now please leave, it's impolite, not to mention disturbing, to watch another man bathe." Adrian huffed and puffed at Ben's retaliation but could say nothing as the bath really was ready for him. And so Ben was left to his own devices, never called for dinner as it was brought to him and he remained in his room, wondering what in Albion had happened to Al.

Until a few hours into the evening when the door creaked open and Al's head popped in, hair falling in torrid disarray, searching the room for signs of life, "ah here you've been hiding. Adrian told me that you'd said you wanted to be left alone. I know it was a load of twaddle but I felt rude leaving during the middle of a nice meal." She ranted, which meant that she had something important to say or do but didn't really want to. So Ben just snorted at Adrian's behaviour and the fact that Al never could resist nice food and turned in his chair to wait for her say whatever it was she wanted to say. Nervously, nervously she sat down next to him and fumbled in her pocket for something. Finally she found and tentatively she reached out and gently placed something cool and heavy in the palm of his outstretched hand. Then she closed his fingers around it and pushed it back into his chest. She made the silence heavy with anticipation as he opened his eyes to glance at the gift. He opened his fingers to see a plain, thick silver ring, fairly old looking and roughly made.

"Oh err thank you." He didn't want to offend her, especially now their friendship was just getting back on track after yesterday's rough patch.

"It's the gun… well obviously not _the _gun but the remains of the gun. I'm not the greatest blacksmith but I was able to forge something at least. Ah my Will helped out," she answered his questioning look as there weren't any blacksmiths in Millfields, "fire to heat it and my Force Push to manipulate it into shape. But I just thought that if you couldn't use the gun, you could still have it in one form or other, you know, for safe-keeping."

Ben was in shock. He had no idea what to say to such a touching gesture. He stared at the ring, still ensconced in his palm, turning it over and over in silence. Alice also refused to say anything, didn't want to remark on the rare serious air about him. She was unsure whether or not the gesture was appreciated and didn't decide to broach the matter. Instead she slowly, slowly crept out of the room leaving Ben to his own thoughts, deciding to give him her other gift later.

Later that night however, when the Millfields were silent and even Adrian, a better watch dog than even Captain Obvious, was sleeping soundly in his room, which was coincidentally opposite Al's, Ben slipped into Al's room. Captain Obvious whimpered in his own dreams, probably chasing a rabbit or Balverine the way his legs were going. Obviously Ben felt a bit weird being in her room like this, finally understanding how on edge she must have felt in his tent. But he crept towards the bed, to wake her up anyway, needing to thank her, quietly, quietly.

"Ben."

"Holy- Alice!" Ben jumped about a foot in the air and swivelled to the seat in the inglenook where Al was curled up, "what the hell are you doing there?" He hissed with his hand dramatically clutching his clothes. Al saw the ring in its place on his finger already and allowed a small, tired smile on to her face. He sat on the edge of her bed, mock glaring at her.

"I couldn't sleep in a bed as big as that now I'm used to the tent." She said at normal volume but it sounded as if she were booming, "Why are you whispering?" she stood and went to sit beside him quickly burrowing under the covers as, as soon as she had left the fire, the cold air whipped over her.

"Because everyone is asleep and if I wake up Mr Guard Dog in the next room there'll be hell to pay because I'm in his fiancé's," there was no helping the bitterness of the tone on the word, "room without being married."

"Ignore the fiancé business," when she spoke this time, she was whispering, "I really have no intention of marrying the twit. I'm going to pass a law soon to say we can marry whoever the hell we like whether they're nobility or in the army. Because I know one of the nobles is in love with one of his servants." She added hastily as if to cover something up before launching into another rushed, nervous speech despite Ben brushing the subject away with his hand and opening his mouth to speak, "go into my backpack. There's something there for you." Ben snapped his mouth shut, sighed but did what he was told. He slipped from the bed and over to where her backpack lay. He brought out some Gauntlets and random food titbits before reaching a leather-bound book that surely was not in there before. And the title read _The Life and Times of Captain Ben Finn (with Introduction by General Swift)._

"What-" For the second time in one day Ben was completely overcome with serious emotion and speechlessness. How Al had the power to do that when no other woman could was beyond him but she had a gift for it.

"I left for the hour before dawn, remember? Well I returned to the Sanctuary and asked Jasper to try his very best to collect your book. And Swift, before he died, wrote something for it. Jasper found it and did it for me so it's all his work. Some things may possibly be missing but it should mostly-" Her inane book ramblings were cut off by a certain Captain Ben Finn crossing the room at such a pace, leaning down and capturing her lips with his own. Poor Alice almost stopped breathing, having only been kissed like that by one person in her entire lifetime. Ben was rough, passionate and all the more enjoyable for it. One hand clutched the book to his side whilst the other roughly gripped the back of her head, tangled in her hair. Finally her arms wound around his neck and, if possible, pulled him more into her. Just as she began to respond he yanked himself away, terrified to continue in case something more happened that they couldn't retract and thus ruining their friendship.

"Al, maybe-" He started to pull away from her altogether but her arms tightened around his neck, locking him in the awkward position of leaning over her, one knee on the bed, back starting to hurt.

"Oh no you don't Ben Finn. I have been waiting two years for you to kiss me like that and I'm not having you stop now. Do you understand?"

That well-known, well-loved smirk plastered itself across his roguish face and he gently placed his new book on the cabinet beside the bed, "is that an order?" He leant forwards to again kiss the girl who'd waited.

"Most definitely an order."

And who was he to disobey his Queen?


	6. Never

_woot another update! Faster than last time right?  
Although I seem to have lost a few people along the way...  
Which makes my regular reviewers that much more awesome!  
**FallenAngelLove **(best review ever!)_  
**Kassandra Black **_(you'll get the Adrian answer soon enough - but not in this one ;)  
**Crazed-Authoress **(I tried to update faster for you!)  
**ScarletChakra** (I hope I credited the idea well for you. If you want more just ask ;)  
**emberlies **(don't worry. Adrian's uppance will come!)  
and  
**aleexmarie **(more glorious together-ness to come!)_

_Does anybody watch Merlin? Because I'm thinking of writing a Gwaine one-shot?  
Let me know!  
_

* * *

**He's a rounder, he's a cad.**

"Why did you never say goodbye?" Alice whispered into the night. She was curled up on the left side of the bed stalkerishly watching Ben breathe as he slept. There was just something in the way he was so relaxed around her when so many others weren't, the breathing so even, that she couldn't resist placing her hand on his chest to feel his steady heartbeat. He grunted in his sleep. She couldn't ask him when he was awake, that was just too embarrassing. So she remained satisfied with just being able to ask the question out loud instead of merely keeping it locked inside.

They hadn't had sex yet, if that's what you were wondering. They'd both forgotten the crucial protection needed and neither of them would risk not having protection. So they'd settled for all the other ways you could enjoy yourself. Finally, well into the early morning they both got to sleep. But Alice had been woken by Ben's restless turning as he had some kind of nightmare. They were often it seemed as she often heard these noises from his tent.

She'd turned over to tell him to shut up but the sad look on his face stopped her in her tracks. There was no way she could wake him like that. He'd stopped after that but she hadn't been able to fall back asleep so now instead she asked the question that had been bugging her for over a year.

"I needed a goodbye Ben, a real one. Did I mean so little to you or did Page just mean more?" Al wasn't exactly expecting an answer but she felt a tad better being able to get if off of her chest for once. There wasn't anyone should could tell. Page was certainly out of the question, she barely saw anyone else and Jasper would clam up at the mere mention of anything sexual still seeing her as a little girl with pigtails despite saving the world and everything. Sighing, knowing she wasn't going to get an answer, she turned back over to try and summon sleep to her side again. But her hand was suddenly engulfed in the warmth of another's. Ben Finn was awake.

"Never." It came out as a rasp albeit a zealous one. He clearly meant what he was saying and was trying to convince her of it. He clutched her hand to his chest as they both lay on their sides, facing each other. Shock was etched all over her face before her lip was chewed in silent apprehension.

"Then what was it?" It came out a vulnerable whisper.

"I couldn't Al. I just couldn't say goodbye to you because goodbye meant I wasn't going to come back. At least 'see you soon' was open-ended. It was meant to tell you that I'd come back one day. Clearly it came out wrong and you didn't quite catch the hint." They both snorted at the understatement. For a year Al had thought she'd never see her man again and for a year Ben had thought she wasn't pining away because she understood his message.

"No I never caught it."

"Come here. Now here's another serious moment and this one won't last long." Dragging back to his side of the bed he pulled her close so that she couldn't see his face. He was blushing, "the only time I won't come back is if you ask me not to ok?" There was a heavy silence in the room. Al weighed the implications of that statement and Ben waited for her to speak again, which finally she did.

"How about coming again?" A grin Ben had hardly ever seen before was on her face and that was when he looked in the mirror. He waggled his eyebrows back.

"Well that I can help you with any time."

* * *

"We gotta go." Ben hissed at a groggy-looking Alice. She was just about waking up, still aching slightly from last night (she didn't even know _that_ was possible) when her future lover and old friend burst through the door. He hurried around the room haphazardly throwing everything into the bad he was holding. Captain Obvious was chasing his tail in reaction to the heady atmosphere, also just happy to be allowed back into this mistress' room after being kicked out the night previous.

"Whoa, slow down soldier. What's happening?" Her words slurred together as she tried to come around, trying to keep up with Ben. He immediately dragged the duvet off of her.

"Adrian may have accidentally seen me leave the room this morning…" He shot her a cheeky, nervous smirk that caused her to raise her eyebrows and say,

"You mean you accidentally on purpose left at the exact same time he was leaving his room?" Finally she was sitting up straight, trying desperately to reclaim the duvet that had been unceremoniously stripped from her. His only answer was another cocksure grin. She sighed, rolled her eyes and slipped from the bed, Ben's face falling when he saw that she was already clothed.

"Al… why are your clothes still on?" He asked, pausing in his hurried activity of shoving everything in her bag now having run out of room in his. He watched her forlornly, mourning the loss of what, to him, would've been a glorious sight for the morning. He knew full well why. Alice merely shot him a look as she saddled up her sword and put on her Gauntlets,

"Because tramp we didn't actually have sex last night. Genius here completely forgot protection."

"I did didn't I?" He stopped his packing altogether just long enough to look tragically depressed when remembering his crucial mistake from last night, "next time?" He cocked his eyebrow suggestively. Al blushed, delighting him as always, and opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by Adrian's voice from the stairwell, calling out to her, the epitome of outrage and worry for his dear, dear fiancé.

"I could just calmly explain the situation?" Alice suggested as she patted the back of her thigh, signalling for Captain Obvious to heel and took the packed bag from Ben. He was already dressed in new clothes, stolen from one of the servants Al guessed; gun and sword on his back and ring on his finger. They both casually sauntered to the window ledge, preparing to jump, as if leaping out of them was a regular occurrence. Al supposed that, for Ben, they really were.

"And where's the fun in that?" He leant down and firmly but gently, so not to scare her away, kissed her, hand once again holding her neck. When he kissed her like that she would do almost anything he asked. When he pulled away she just blinked up at him in a daze.

"Your majesty?" Adrian's voice was much closer now, almost in front of the door and Al only had a few moments to think. In her eyes this wasn't just a split second decision but a time to decide between men and Ben knew it too. He waited patiently, hope still rather palpable on his face, with one leg over the window ledge ready to jump. On one side was Adrian the Noble, lovely bloke, bit pathetic and too much in love with his mother, whom she'd lead a content life with. Or Captain Ben Finn, her very own tramp, fellow saver of Albion, someone who had experienced the Darkness and with whom her life would never stop being an adventure even if they were only together for a brief moment in time.

"… Less talking, more running." She made her decision. She'd rather have this brief year with Ben knowing that it would probably never go beyond that than live a dull existence with a boring man.

"That's my girl."

If only, Ben Finn, if only.


	7. Vignette

_Ok guys! This isn't really a part of the story but just some short drabbles.  
Little vignettes to transition to Aurora!  
Big thanks to the reviewers :)  
**Kassandra Black  
oChaoticDarlingo  
FallenAngelLove  
emberlies  
Crazed-Authoress  
CATCFaddict**_

_I'm not sure if they celebrate Christmas in Albion :P  
so I've used an un-named festival that's pretty much exactly the same!_

* * *

Alice stretched languorously against Ben as his hand trailed from the base of hip to her neck to wake her. A lazy smile crept across her face as she turned to face him. His chin rested in the crook of her neck.

"You know I think we're going to sell off the spare tent." He chuckled dropping a butterfly kiss under her ear playfully. Ever since they'd left Adrian's a couple of days ago he'd allowed his playful side, the side he'd always kept _somewhat_ under wraps when they were together before, to be completely released. And Alice had to say that she was fully enjoying the attention. She was awoken in the morning sometimes by breakfast, sometimes by kisses and touches. He didn't actively look after her otherwise as he knew she so loved her independence but if she were ever _propositioned_ he was wonderfully possessive. So long as the year was full of moments like that she knew she wouldn't regret her decision.

* * *

"You know I adore this time of year!" Alice giggled excitedly and Ben could definitely believe it. They trudged through the snow of the Mistpeak Mountains dressed as Dwellers. Sabine knew they were coming through the portal on the far side of his village and had asked for as little pomp as possible. This was usually a desolate time of year for them despite the festivities for everyone else.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year." He grunted, not quite sharing her enthusiasm just yet. She had arranged for a load of gifts to be sent to the palace for her to pick up via the Sanctuary means of travel, of which he was still in awe, and he now had to carry the great big sack of them whilst she carried a smaller bag, "remind me again why we don't use the Map more often? It would make travelling much less dangerous." He complained preferring that to the nights camped out in the wilderness trying his earnest not to get eaten by rabid wolves.

She stopped her eager bouncing long enough to roll her eyes, "because life would be too easy then tramp. Where's your sense of adventure?" She whipped out her gun and made a show of fiddling with it in boredom as she waited for him to struggle down the hill. However something really did catch her eye making her next sentence sound rather absent-minded, "besides I need the skills for the Road…" she trailed off, "come on slow poke! I want to get these gifts to people before the sun rises and everything prepared! Sabine's men are waiting for us!"

And that was that. Alice often mentioned the Road, it was where one of the portals led, but she would allow no one to pass through it and only went there on occasion. She'd told him that one day she'd tell him, when the time was right. He assumed that meant when she trusted him enough, as much as Jasper or Walter. Or even loved him enough.

* * *

"If you love me only in my dreams then let me be asleep forever." Ben quoted from one of the rare books that Al was returning to Samuel, the old Librarian. The Academy was full of eager young minds all ready to learn and Al had kindly said that she'd find rare books and return them. They were one day away. It was a relaxed and warm scene around the campfire tonight. He was reading a book cross-legged and his hero was lying on her stomach in front of the fire, Captain Obvious next to her, her front half propped up by her elbows and she was absent-mindedly chewing on a piece of fruit. And if he didn't know her better he'd say that her eyes looked a little wistful and she stopped chewing. However she got herself together and laughed,

"That sounds depressing." Her tone turned a little sad and much more knowing than Ben would've liked, "to only be loved in your dreams…"

In an instant he set the book down to show her exactly how _real_ he was, in right now.

* * *

Ben watched her leap across the craggy rocks, hunting their food with the skill of an animal. Seeing her bounce, twist and turn with an extreme gracefulness that he never usually saw when she was feeling self-conscious in front of him. Her hair whipped in the wind that was hitting them both square in the face. It didn't distract her though as she just kept on going, gun cocked and ready to shoot the birds from the sky from their food. Finally, just as Ben stumbled, not having the heroic ease that she possessed, one shot rang out, clear as a bell. Two thumps. Two birds hit the ground; he couldn't have done it better himself. He glanced up from his place in between a rock and a pointier rock to see his lover silhouetted against the twilight. She was in her 'practical' royal outfit and one foot was placed forward on a rock to help her balance, her gun was resting on her shoulder still smoking ever so slightly. The smile on her face was triumphant and ablaze with the setting of the sun. Finally she turned that triumphant grin to him,

"You gonna sit there all day soldier or you gonna cook me the dinner I just caught for us?"

Oh no. He thinks that he just fell in love.

* * *

A great fire burnt in the centre of the area, several birds already roasting there. Tables laden with food were dotted all around under many, many tents to try and keep the cold out. Music was playing and people were dancing, including Ben Finn. It had been a harsh winter for the Dwellers again, not as bad as it would've been under Logan's reign, but still a harsh winter. Sabine and his people lived in an unforgiving area despite being under the protection of Albion now but were too proud to let it pass through their fingers. They were still trying to recover the rest of their forests. So when Ben and Al had made it their mission to bring gifts and a great feast to the Camp Sabine had been delighted.

When the Dwellers had risen that morning, anxious over the thought of having nothing for their children on this particular day, to find gifts of gold, dolls and little rocking horses outside of their caravans they'd nearly cried with joy. And when Sabine sent word that the Queen and her companion, rumours that they were companions in more ways than one, had arranged a feast for them the villagers congregated to where the feast was being held. They suspected that the pair were the ones who had left the gifts but as no explanation was given they didn't seek one either, just thankful that they had received anything at all.

Alice ignored the appreciative stares that the Dwellers gave both her and Ben, the incredulous ones because of their outfits and the knowing eyebrow waggles whenever she and Ben sat together. Instead she kept her eyes firmly but subtly on the man himself as he tried to dance with a Dweller woman who. He'd never been a good dancer and it really did show. Alice couldn't help but laugh as he stumbled around the poor woman who hadn't quite known what she was getting herself in for. Ben caught the laugh, turned his infamous smile towards her before his feet fell out from under him, caught in the dance.

Oh dear. She just fell in love.


	8. Love

_One more chapter left! Eek!  
I would obviously like to thank my faithful followers and reviewers to whom I have not yet replied :( I'm so sorry!  
**Cassandra Finn **(it's not as quick as either of us would've liked but here's an update! Yay! :) Must review your latest chapter)  
**emberlies **(for already being in love with my story ;)  
**Kassandra Black** (stop wondering and read on. Much more next chapter though!)  
**oChaoticDarlingo **(keep on hoping! I'm positive it'll pay off in the end! haha)  
and last but not in the least bit least, **  
Crazed-Authoress** (you'll have to read the ending for yourself ;) lolz_

_This is a bit all over the shot, I'm aware, but this is really just a transition chapter to the finale soon.  
I've been very busy with presents and trying to figure out this damn Blackberry! haha_  
_Finale will be up soon._

* * *

**He's a tramp; but I love him.**

Alice had trail of tears tracking down her cheeks as soon as she faced the desert of Aurora from the portal. Ben gulped as he saw that light he had so carefully cultivated to shine in her eyes once again completely extinguish.

"Alice…" he whispered not entirely sure what else he could say. There was nothing he could say that could comfort her. He'd foolishly forgotten what day it was and, he knew where the portal dropped them off, how this place might affect her. He was kicking himself.

"I hate this place tramp. With every fibre of my being I hate these Shifting Sands." Her face was one of overwhelming sadness and pure disgust, a frightful emotion on his still young love's face. His Alice was still too young to have such power, such grief on her tiny shoulders. She gripped his hand, needing some support, just like in the throne room exactly a year ago.

"Share it with me Al." He insisted, taking the other hand in his and making her face. However she kept her face turned away, fixed on the shifting horizon.

"You don't know Ben." Her voice was incredibly quiet and close to breaking, "having all of the light taken from you. You're stumbling in the dark and there's nothing to pull you from it. I was in that Darkness for only two minutes and it floored me. Walter spent the rest of his life fighting that Darkness and I just… I just don't know how he faced that alone."

"Talk to me. Cry about it." He whispered into her hair as he pulled her into his arms and held on tight. He hadn't seen her cry since last year and it wasn't healthy. He cried every year on the anniversary of Swift's death and wrote down, having no one with him to truly talk to about it, the good times they'd shared. It helped him mourn the loss and cherish his memory. Alice, given leave to show emotion as a person still grieving rather than a monarch with a kingdom to bear, gripped Ben's collar and broke down into sobs, showing a side of her that only Ben would ever be allowed to see and from that Ben felt a twisted kind of satisfaction.

* * *

"Your majesty!" Kalin, the fearless leader of the Aurorans, walked towards the now more joyful (having been taken away from the Shifting Sands) Queen with wide, open arms. If her hawk like gaze travelled towards the clasped hands of Alice and Ben she didn't say anything of it nor give any sign that she'd noticed it.

"Kalin." Alice broke away from Ben to embrace her friend and former ally in a warm hug, "stop calling me that." Her smile was genuine and bright, Ben was pleased to note, as if half an hour ago she wasn't collapsed in the sand dunes, pouring her eyes out, "I'm sorry we didn't send word but this was kind of a spur of the moment thing." She stepped back from the hug and cast her eyes about the temple that she had once lain ill in. It was looking much better than before; they were re-building it now that the economy was much better for Aurora, what with the new surge of nobility taking vacations in this previously undiscovered exotic area.

"Of course not. We'd heard you were abroad and hoped you'd visit." Kalin admitted smiling broadly. They'd heard many other rumours of course, mostly involving Ben and her and, whilst most appeared to be true, Kalin thought it a little insensitive to mention them. Especially since the Queen had been crying as well as neither of them appearing to have noticed how they felt about each other, "there is an event happening in town right now that you might enjoy whilst you are here Alice."

"Ohhh we love a good old event don't we Ben?" Alice grinned, her volume a little too loud for the temple and it was trying to disguise the feeling of being ill at ease from before. Ben walked forward, casually tossed his arm around her shoulder and said in a quieter tone,

"Indeed we do. Pray tell Kalin what kind of gay and happy event this is?" Ben always enjoyed teasing Kalin about the way she spoke English, in the very proper manner as she was taught English rather than it being her mother tongue, and it felt like a good way to defuse Al's tension.

"A wedding! We have not had a wedding here for over five years and if you both attend I'm sure the couple will be extremely happy." Like the graceful and dignified monarch she was Kalin deigned to ignore Ben's teasing and speak directly to Alice. Al felt a little jealous of her leadership skills and how much she enjoyed her work. But then she remembered that she'd saved the world, with everyone's help of course, but she alone had faced the Crawler within Walter when no one else could. And was a Hero. That was a nice little ego boost for her.

"Oh yes we do love weddings." Al clapped her hands to show her eagerness.

"Not ours-" Ben hastened to assure with a rush of red to his face.

"Oh… of course not, I just meant, well you know, I mean…" Al began to stammer. She'd of course never meant _their_ wedding but faced with the thought and the recent realisation that she loved him it turned her into a bumbling mess.

"No one meant yours, do not worry. But please, come. The wedding is about to commence."

* * *

Ben and Alice sat in a secluded corner of the wedding party, still eager to drink in the festivities and the happy ambience, happier than usual considering it was the first wedding in five years. They'd been overwhelmed with requests for autographs and stories from the children and so had been placed out of their sight by Kalin who didn't want the wedding turning into a royal circus. They played an ingenious little game of Rock, Paper, and Scissors that one of the children had shown them earlier to amuse themselves for hours. There was no awkwardness concerning the day's previous events and Alice seemed to have quite forgotten what day it was. Ben didn't comment on it either, grateful that his Queen, no question of it - she was his, was smiling again with some light back in her eyes. Hopefully this time for good.

"Your Majesty?" A child's quiet voice questioned from underneath a table. Alice turned her head automatically and a smile spread even further across her face. She'd always had a soft spot for children.

"I'm Alice. What's your name?" Her hand didn't move from Ben's having covered his hand with 'paper'. Ben hated that paper could beat rock and grumbled halfway through their games 'if paper beats rock I'm going to put my rock in your face _Highness_ and say 'I hoped paper would protect you'.

"Sarah. Are you married to him?" She asked the question with such fearful wide eyes that Al and Ben couldn't help but chuckle. Children were usually so fearless when talking to people, having no concept of rank.

"No Sarah we're not married." Although her voice was still light Ben could feel her hands tightening a bit when she said it and he didn't know if she were thinking of Adrian or him.

"Do you love him?" There was the blatancy that children were so associated with. Her face went a bright scarlet, redder than he'd ever seen even when she was using Fire at a very dangerous level, and before she could begin to stammer out an answer her face hardened and she went,

"Yes." Then she coughed to clear her throat, "yes Sarah. I love him." But her eyes weren't on Sarah. They were on his completely astonished but not wholly displeased face. They were silently pleading for him to respond, say it back to her.

"I love you too." He whispered, forgot the child was there and kissed his Alice.

Not his Queen but _his_ Alice.


	9. Flashback

_So not actually the last chapter!  
There will be an epilogue after this :D_

_Of course the thank-yous to the awesome reviewers!  
**MobMotherScitah** (good to have you back)  
**oChaoticDarlingo **(SQUEE :) best bit ever)  
**Curiously Cinnamon **(welcome and thank you :)  
**emberlies **(what work would you like next? ;)  
**Cassandra Finn **(denial is a good place to be haha)  
and last but never least  
**Kassandra Black **(protesting sounds fun lolz)_

* * *

**Yes, and even I have got it pretty bad.**

The day of the royal wedding dawned and there was uproar in Albion. The Queen was finally getting married after she passed her law of nobility marrying whoever they wanted and returned from travelling. There were parades in the streets of the cities, parties in the villages. All of the leaders of the Rebellion had gathered, dressed in their finery, and were waiting for the Queen in the Throne Room where the wedding would take place. Alice had yet to take her position for the ceremony to begin and the groom was beginning to look anxious, fiddling with his floppy hair.

Kalin from Aurora stood in her exotic get-up that the people of Albion admired but also thought was incredibly strange. Her tattoos had changed from the colour of sorrow, blue, to the colour of celebration, specifically for the wedding. She would change them after she'd promised Alice who didn't want to disrupt the leader's mourning of her lost people.

Page from the Bowerstone Resistance stood in finery she'd only worn once before, for Reaver's disgusting games. Whilst she looked gorgeous she also looked completely uncomfortable despite being surrounded by the people of the city she knew, all of the Resistance being invited.

Sabine was there, refusing to dress up and pouting because he couldn't release 'fireworks' aka ill-disguised explosions as Alice walked down the makeshift aisle. Boulder of course was sticking right to his side as always, excited at the celebrations.

Jasper had taken time out from the Sanctuary to walk her down the aisle, taking the place where Walter should be. He was pleased that the girl he still sees in pigtails and dirty dresses was beginning to look like a grown up to him, taking such an important step, but he knew that Walter was really the one Alice would've liked to walk her down after her real father of course. Although he was certain that he was the second choice.

And finally Ben Finn stood in his cleaned uniform, biting back the tears that were too out of place in the celebration eyeing the groom with murderous intent. He hadn't been able to marry his Alice. He'd wanted to, he really had, but something inside him had stopped him. And now the worst was happening. He was seeing the love of his life marry someone else. The bitter irony of the fact that he had sworn never to fall in love and was now forced to watch her with someone else was not lost on him. This could've all been avoided if he'd just been able to find the right words.

_Three days into their stay at Aurora and Alice and Ben had yet to see anything other the outside of the tents. Their confessions had put a whole new intensity to their relationship and Alice couldn't stop making Ben say it over and over again. However with their confessions came the conversation Ben hadn't hoped to talk about just yet. He'd thought they'd have more time._

"_Where do we go from here?" That dreaded, horrible question. Wasn't the time they were sharing enough? She didn't have to return yet so why bring up the future when the present was so much more fun to think about._

"_Alice... I can't think about this right now." He used his tiredness as an excuse to put off answering the question he should've been prepared for. The hand caressing his hair stilled and her entire body stiffened and he knew he'd said the wrong thing. _

_It had taken Alice all of her courage to ask the question she didn't want to ask because it meant facing reality. Ben had just confirmed her worst fears, "well, when can we talk about it? When would be the perfect time to talk about it? When I'm leaving?" Her tirade was just about to start. Little to no sleep made Alice an incredibly irritable monarch. Ben sighed, threw a towel around his bare chest and slipped on some trousers. He needed to go wash or something, anything to get away from the reality of the on-coming situation. Finally, after a rant and not noticing that he was attempting to dress, Alice slumped back into her bed sighing heavily and placing a hand over her eyes so that Ben couldn't see the tears beginning to well, "tramp…" her voice was defeated. Ben glanced over in horror. An angry Alice he could handle and sometimes enjoyed, but an Alice ready to give up was not something he could deal with._

"_Al… listen…"_

"_No tramp. You have to listen to me. Whether we like it or not I'm a Queen. I rule the people and the people expect me to marry." He began to interrupt now leaning over her with desperate eyes as he knew where this was leading. Instead she hushed him, placing a hand on the side of his rough jaw – he needed to shave – with the saddest smile he'd ever seen on her face, "don't worry. I was never going to ask you to do that for you. You won't." Sighing heavily again she stood and started collecting up her clothes. Quickly getting dressed she continued her speech whilst he sat completely speechless, watching his Alice leave. He just didn't know if it was for good or not, "do you remember when we left Adrian's that day? You asked me if I was going to leap from that window with you but we both knew that it was you asking me to make the decision between you. We could've stayed to explain but that would've meant not making a decision. And I chose you. Even though I knew that it wouldn't last I still made that decision. Ben…" she realised that she wasn't really explaining anything by his confused face so she crouched down in front of him, "I was always going to need a decision in return. It hadn't needed to be today but it would've had to be someday. Someday you'd have had to choose between me and freedom. Freedom to do whatever you wanted and that's something that I could never offer you. And I don't want to be the person to ask you to do that." She fell silent as it sunk into him what exactly she meant and why she was talking in the past tense._

"_Alice… I…" Ben started to stutter uncontrollably. There was that desolate smile again. Sadder than it had ever been because this time she was in control. She was leaving someone behind, not because of the Darkness or to save the world again, but because love just wasn't enough._

"_That's what I thought." She leant forward and pressed her lips to Ben's. There was salt on her lips – had she been crying? He couldn't remember. A familiar light appeared from the small disk that took her to the Sanctuary leaving Ben behind and the ghost of a farewell kiss._

_Later Kalin had come to collect some of her things but making sure that Ben stayed behind. There wasn't any anger in her manner towards him but understanding that it had turned out this way. After Kalin's men had left Ben had ran as hard as he could to the temple but was only greeted by Kalin shaking her head sadly._

And now here they were. Alice had just made her grand entrance jolting Ben out of his reverie. They'd been parted six months and seeing her again was terrifying, seeing how unhappy she looked. Despite having passed the law for nobility to marry commoners she had not come searching for Ben again and Ben could not get into the castle, no matter how many times he tried. And out of the blue, five months later, Page had called him back to the Resistance HQ with an invitation to Alice's wedding. To this day he has no idea why he agreed to go but go he did. To see his Alice, not Adrian's, never Adrian's, walking towards them, preparing to marry the most boring man alive because her people had pushed her into it. Her people, who professed to love her so much, wanted to see her marry and produce an heir to make them happy.

And Ben immediately felt awful all over again when he realised his mistake. Here she was, giving up the one small pleasure she had of being a partially free woman for the sake of her people. Here he was, not trading in personal freedom to be with the woman he loved because he was afraid. Her fearless, him afraid. They kind of completed each other.

And that was when everything happened. He made a decision.

Alice was almost near Adrian – the ceremony was almost about to begin – when Ben stepped forward and did what he'd been wanting to do since he'd met the simpering idiot. He punched him in the face and took his place.

There was a collective sigh of relief but mutterings from the nobility although they were "too polite" to say anything. The other half of the room weren't the common people but friends of the Queen and Ben and they knew that this wasn't what she wanted but couldn't say anything. But Alice ignored all of that and started inquisitively at Ben who merely nodded, extending a hand towards her.

"I'm not a Hero your Highness but freedom without you isn't freedom at all."

"You're late."


	10. Epilogue

_I'm not exactly proud of this one to be honest.  
But I think some small vignettes can end it quite nicely :)  
Sorry if it's kind of anti-climatic.  
The usual thank-yous. A massive thank you to to all those who've stuck with this!  
I love you guys :)_

_**ScarletChakra** (welcome back! Nice to see you for the last one :)  
**bunniesarecool80 **(I think I may be letting you down a little. You should read my one-shots, always angsty haha)  
**pmartin33** (Thank you! I'm praying for the day Ben Finn DLC hits our xboxes! I'm thinking Simon Pegg might be a bit freaked though x)  
**emberlies** (you've been an awesome reviewer! Thank you!)  
**Bloodgems** (amazing reactions. I love them haha)  
**Curiously Cinnamon** (lolz glad you didn't have a heart attack, I'd feel extremely guilty :)  
**LoveTheCrazy** (concise ;)  
**Cassandra Finn** (haha I'm glad I saved you your ipad and the awkward parental unit moment that would've happened!)  
**Crazed-Authoress** (Another heart attack. I seem to be good at these! haha)  
**Kassandra Black** (I'm looking forward to this fabulous sounding protests.)_

_**An Annoucement (you may or may not be interested in):** I don't think I'm going to be writing stories on here for a while. I very possibly have a publishing deal for an original.  
And I really need to focus on that :D  
_

* * *

"So what now?" Ben whispered into Alice's ear as the celebration of their wedding continued long into the next day. Say what you want about the Bowerstone Resistance and the Dwellers, they knew how to celebrate. The nobility had long since departed, "Do we walk off into sunset, holding hands?"

Alice glanced up at him with a cynical cock of the eyebrow, "what comes after the sunset though?" Ben gave a puzzled shrug as he hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. Truth be told, he didn't actually know, "let's not have a sunset tramp. Let's stick with real life. I have a feeling it'll be much better." Alice sighed contentedly, tiredness making her much more of a romantic than usual.

"Did you always know I'd come back?" Ben suddenly asked, reaching around her shoulders to grab her hand. She wiggled closer into his side, eyes closing. They were both getting sleepy after being awake for so long. Two days celebrating can really wear you down, "were you waiting long?"

"Yes, I knew you'd come back. You took your time though, a bit touch and go at the wedding."

"I'm sorry for being late.

* * *

"_I _think you're a Hero, Finn." Alice smiled up at the King as they sat on the floor cushions of a house set aside for them, for a honeymoon, in Aurora. The place didn't hold so many bad memories for her now. She could even face the Shifting Sands if she held Ben's hands. She was commenting on what he'd said at the altar.

"_Your_ Hero is it?" He smiled lazily, eyes closed as his chest hummed quietly, like he was purring. He didn't have any experience of them but honeymoons were fast becoming his favourite thing. His wife, his _wife_, such a lovely thing to say, pauses for a moment.

"… Ok that too but I meant I think you have some Hero blood in you. I mean the way you are with guns - you must be a descendent from a Hero of Skill or something."

Blearily, he opened his eyes to glance down at his blushing bride, probably the heat of Aurora and turned the though over in his mind before a genuine smile creeps slowly over his face.

"The children we have will be ridiculously awesome."

* * *

The King and Queen of all Albion had a reputation and they liked to honour it. Naturally they ruled the country with a fair but iron fist, Albion was entering its Golden Age. The masses of Albion however had no idea how this was actually achieved as very often, on more than one occasion, the monarchs were seen in the pubs of Bowerstone. They mingled with the masses often, Ben Finn usually brought the soldiers he trained to the pubs or the festivals and Alice Finn, as she now was, visited them with Page and her new aide – Hobson could pick them out at least.

But, in the end, they were the adventuring King and Queen. Whenever the public had a Hobbe menace, ghostly visitors or Hollow Men issues Alice and Ben would be informed and they would personally deal with the problems. And the people loved them.

* * *

"Rose! Sparrow! _Ben_!" Alice saw her children, the boy five and the girl three, rolling around the garden designated to just the family, with their father. Rose squealed excitedly as the voice of their mother called them. She had blonde floppy hair like her father that constantly fell all in her eyes and a cheeky grin. She immediately ran to her mother, pulling at her dress. Ben stood his brunette, blue-eyed son up who flapped his arms excitedly, pretending he was his namesake. He grinned sheepishly up at his wife, knowing what was wrong. They were meant to be at an official event in the city and now they were all covered in mud and grass because Ben could never resist a whim of his children.

"Come on now kids, your mother and father have to play at Kings and Queens now." He prodded Sparrow a little, to get him to run to his mother. Ben stayed on the floor however. Sparrow nodded and toddled off with the nanny who looked after them on occasions; an unusually perceptive child he knew when it was time to leave his parents alone.

"Ben." Alice's voice was exasperated as she moved to run a hand through her hair before realising how intricately it had been made up and let her hand drop, "I can't be bad cop all the time. One of these days you're gonna have to discipline them at least." Ben said nothing but reached out a hand so that she could slide it into. She took her cue. What she didn't expect however was to be dragged to the ground to lie atop of him, "Ben – people will see."

"This is our private garden." He punctuated every word with a kiss to some part of her face, "no one's gonna notice." She finally kissed him back but shortly, with finality and he knew his distraction wasn't going to work, "fine we'll go to this stupid event. What is it? Some guy won a pie-eating contest?" Ben got exasperated at all the tiny victories people wanted their King and Queen to witness when they had tiny victories of their own to remember. _King_. Still such an odd word on his tongue, even after all these years. Alice sighed, knowing how much these little nuances of kingmanship and suchlike annoyed him,

"Any regrets Ben?"

"Never."


End file.
